Brains and Brawn
by DontLookAtMeItWasHim
Summary: He remembered two weeks before he was going to the police academy for six months. He had woken up one morning and had found that she had snuck into his room, knowing full well it was because she watch that scary movie last night. She fell asleep facing him, her hand clutching his and it was in that moment that Jack fell in love with Clara. OC/OC!
1. Chapter 1

**I know I should be writing the next chapter to The Risk of Mending a Broken Heart, but I just like this story so much and I just love my characters!**

 **And follow me on Tumblr! dontlookatmeitwashim or johnnylingolives!**

December 18th, 1996

"You can't send Clara out at this night!" Grandma Roza's russian accent was always thick, even thicker when she got angry. "There are bad spirits! Haunting the wood!"

Clara's mother, Kaylee rolled her eyes at her mother. "She will be fine. mother! Stop scaring her with your talk of spirits and bad omens!"

The grandmother huffed at her daughter, shaking her head vigorously. "You do not listen, daughter! You never have!"

The thirteen year old Clara stood to the sidelines, fully dressed to walk into the snow to go get the dog that had escaped from their backyard. It wasn't uncommon for her mother and grandma to be fighting like this... What _was_ uncommon? Roza talking about spirits in front of her brother's best friend; Jack Avery.

"Mrs. Volkov?" Jack stood up from the couch, his dark hair loose. "If it would make you any happier, I can go with Clara."

Jack was about three years older than Clara, he was the captain of the football team. He was the only person Clara would willingly talk to.

Looking between her granddaughter and Jack, Roza was about to refuse once more, but her daughter stepped in front of her with a gracious smile. "Oh, you don't have to do that Jack! Clara is completely able to do it-"

"It would make me sleep better at night knowing that I didn't let her travel in the woods alone, Mrs. Harris." The football player cut off Kaylee with a smile.

"It's your funeral, dude." Daniel said from the couch, playing with his new violin. "The geek will probably talk your ear off with one off her new 'ideas'."

Clara balled her fists and glared at her older brother, glad that they didn't share any resemblance to each other. "It's called research!"

Holding back a laugh, Jack walked forward and put on his jacket and snow shoes. The old woman caught his arm before he could put on his hat. "I beg you, do not let my little star out of your sight..."

Looking into the old woman's gray eyes, the sixteen year old swallowed as he saw the terrified look in her eyes. "I promise."

"Thank you," Roza smiled and turned to her granddaughter as Jack opened the door. Clara smiled up at her, holding a large flashlight in her hands. "Little Star... Do you remember the chants I taught you?"

"Yes, Mama." The young girl nodded.

Sighing, the grandmother hugged her grandchild. "If you should find danger, sing them... They will protect you."

"I will, Mama." Clara smiled as she walked past her grandmother and closed the door behind her.

Turning on the flashlight, the two teenagers started for the dark woods, the snow crunching underneath their feet as they walked.

They didn't talk until they were quite a distance away and it was Jack who spoke first, as though he didn't want Mrs. Volkov to hear him. "Your grandma... Is she normally like that?"

"More or less," She said, her eyes straining to see any clue for the missing dog; Pongo. "Mama Roza was born in Russia and was raised in the Gypsy ways like her mother and grandmother before her, so you can say she's very... Insync with the world and beyond."  
"So she can sense spirits and demons?" Jack raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Shrugging, Clara looked around for clues about where Pongo went. "I think they are more feelings than actually seeing them... Though she never freaks out like this when you're around."

"Why?"

"Because Daniel told her that he won't be embarrassed by his 'crazy' Grandma when his friends come over." Clara had a bitterness behind her voice, it would have gone unnoticed, but Jack spent a lot of time around the younger girl to know when she was upset about something.

Jack chewed his lip... He felt guilty. "I'm sorry that you brother can be a jerk sometimes-"

"Sometimes?" The girl whipped her head to Jack, her blonde hair swinging over her shoulders. "Do you know how many times I had to redo _all_ my notes for Physics, Calculus and Chemistry just because he thought it was funny to throw them out the car window or burn them up? Or how many Science Fairs I had to forfeit because Daniel had sabotaged my experiment? Daniel is _always_ a jerk to me and it doesn't help that my-"

A loud howl made Clara to stop her ranting immediately... It was Pongo.

The two teenagers looked at one another before sprinting off where the sound was coming from. Pongo's howling turned into vicious barking, as though he was trying to warn them away from him. But Clara didn't stop, she just ran faster and faster.

"Clara! Wait!" Jack tried to keep up with her, but she was just running too fast for him. "Clara!"

Getting closer and closer to Pongo's barking, the girl ran into a small clearing. She saw her German Shepherd standing tall and growling. Clara followed where her dog was looking and her body froze.

Only about five feet away from her was a many dressed in all black, leaning over a young girl... Clara knew immediately who the girl was. Clara didn't know her name, but she knew that the girl was a freshman who was on the cheerleading squad. She only knew this because Jack pointed her out one day and said that they looked alike.

The man stood up slowly, his face turning towards Clara; revealing a man with purples eyes. He studied her up and down, only then did she see the ancient norse markings that had been carved into the girl's naked body.

She couldn't speak, fear choked her and made her immovable. She was terrified that she would suffer the same horrible fate that Alice got.

"And who might you be?" The man took a step forward, his aura murderous. "No matter... I don't need to know."

He grabbed Clara by the neck and lifted her off the ground; her flashlight falling out of her hands as she struggled to breath. The blackness started to cloud her vision, luckily Pongo attacked the mysterious man before he could kill Clara; she landed on the ground with a groan.

The man threw the dog off him and was about to finish the job, only to be stopped by someone yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Clara!" Jack was only a seconds away.

The man's eyes widened at the name and looked at the girl in front of him. " _Your Clara Kinsley Harris?!_ You can't be! I killed-"

Jack's thundering footsteps cut the man off, causing him to growled at himself and ran the other way; Pongo going after him to make sure the man didn't hurt his master again.

Clara couldn't breath... The man knew _her_ name, _her full name_.

Jack was in front of her in seconds, placing his hands on her shoulder and shook her. "Clara!"

But she wasn't responding to him, only focusing on trying to breath; she pointed to behind him. "He killed her..." Jack followed where she pointed and gasped as he saw the familiar cheerleader laying there. "And... He tried to kill me too."

Jack whipped around to Clara, her words rang through his head as though she just said them. _He tried to kill me too..._

Bone chilling panic ran through Jack's body... Without a second thought, he picked up Clara and ran back to the house. He ran faster than he ever thought he could and it was because of the fact that Clara was in danger.

Slamming the door close, Jack yelled for anyone's name blindly as he put Clara down on the couch. "Daniel! Mrs. Volkov!"

"Jack, what's wrong? Your sound like the Devil just grabbed your ass, man." Daniel came down the stairs, looking to see what was going on; his grandmother and parents behind him.

Jack took off his jacket and looked at Clara, making sure she was okay. "Call nine-one-one! I think she's going into shock!"

Roza was next to her granddaughter, she was chanting something in her native language but Clara didn't respond. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know!" Jack paced the room, trying to work off the adrenaline. "One minute, we were running towards Pongo's barking, the next I find Clara on the ground barely breathing a-and a dead body with all these symbols carved on there skin!"

Running to the phone, Daniel came back a minute later. "Police and an ambulance is on it's way!"

Slowly turning to the boy, the old woman placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Calm yourself... Because of you? My Little Star lives, you protected her when no one else could."

Jack nodded, taking comfort in the russian accent. He took a breath and sat down next to Clara. Her honey eyes seemed too wide and too frozen to be real... She reminded Jack of a doll; unable to respond or move. Sighing, Jack too her hand in his and squeezed.

Feeling Jack hold her hand, Clara met his eyes. "He knew my name... H-How could he know my name?"

2011, Three Days Before Avengers

"Clara! Did you get those result?" A man of impressive physique walked through the door, his dark hair combed back, his sea green eyes extra happy and a small smile on his lips

Rolling her eyes, the blonde held up the folder with a grin; not looking away from the microscope. "I always do, Detective!"

Walking up to her from behind, the detective yanked the girl away from the microscope and turned her around. "Do I have to beg?"

"It wouldn't hurt..." Clara laughed, enjoying the closeness she was having with the detective. "Would make me feel more appreciated for all the work I do around here."

Laughing, the detective got down on one knee; still holding the chair in place. "Please, Goddess of the Lab? Would you grace me with your findings?"

Pretending to thinking it over, Clara finally nodded. "Remember the powder that was found on our victim's fingers? Well, I tested it and turns out it's a hair dye, but not any hair dye! Surya Henna Hair Treatment, and who is the-"

"Julia!" The detective grinned, placing a kiss on Clara's cheek. "You're a genius!"  
"You're only finding this out?" The medical examiner laughed.

Standing up, the detective shook his head. "Of course not! Pick you up for lunch at one?"

"Goodbye, Jack!"

"I'll take that as a yes!" He said, running out the door, leaving to arrest yet another criminal.

 **So yeah... I hope you like it! Tell me what you think and if you wanna get more of my writing just follow me at tumblr! dontlookatmeitwas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO AGAIN! I think I'm going to be posting on every sunday... When I have a chance! Oh and you can follow me at tumblr!** **dontlookatmeitwashim**

 **I post a lot of one-shots and Character face claims! And little promos for the next chapters! :)**

Two Years Later

Jack watched Clara's apartment door, waiting for her to open it up and get to work. But after another minute? Nothing happened.

Sighing to himself, Jack dug out the key that used went to his old apartment and unlocked the door. The apartment was as you expected... Slightly dirty, the sink half filled with dishes and video games thrown everywhere.

He shook his head... Clara seemed to really getting used to living alone. The two of them used to share the apartment, back when Jack was a newbie officer and Clara was attending Columbia University. It was only until six months ago that Jack moved out... To the apartment across the hall with his girlfriend.

"Clara, come on! We have to get going!" He opened the door that used to be his bedroom, but it was now fashioned to Clara's liking.

It wasn't a surprise to the detective to find two bodies in the bed; Clara always was free spirited. Walking up to the bed, Jack pulled the sheet off the bed; thankful that the two of them at least had underwear on.

"Ten more minutes..." Clara groaned, snuggling closer to her mattress.

Rolling his eyes, the detective looked towards the guy. He had black hair and it seemed he was more awake than the girl next to him. He looked as though he worked out everyday and looked only about twenty-six years old.

"Hey, Clara, who is this?" The college student raised an eyebrow, not liking that Jack was wearing a suit.

Forcing a smile, Jack took out his badge. "Detective Jack Avery, you have ten seconds to get out before I arrest you for trespassing."

"You can't do that-"

Clara put a hand over her one night stand's mouth and sighed. "You said you would never do that again, Jack."

"And I won't, but there is a murder case calling our names!" The detective laughed, putting away his badge and throwing the boy's pants at him.

Not wasting anytime, the boy put on his pants; grabbed his shirt and ran out. While Clara glared at her best friend, but all Jack could do was grin.

He walked towards her closet and grabbed a pair of boot cut pants and a loose forest green blouse. The blouse was see through in the right light, but Jack didn't have enough time or the energy to try to find a undershirt.

He threw the clothes at Clara, then went back into the closet to grab the beige heels that Clara loved.

"Can't this wait another ten minutes?" She groaned, moving the pants away from her face.

"No, Captain Lurk is already the scene." Jack placed the shoes down and pulled Clara into a sitting position. "Apparently he had to talk to the witness himself, explicitly telling them to not say a word about anything what happened."

Clara raised her arms, already used to the routine of Jack getting her dressed. "Must have been something really gruesome then... What else did they say?"  
"Nothing really, only that it was pretty gruesome." The detective slid the blouse onto her toned body. "Luckily, the crime scene is only about a block or two away from our apartments."

Clara stood and pulled on her pants, not zipping them yet. "What? Usually there is only petty crime around this area." The medical examiner put in pearl earings and a simple necklace, then she finally zipped up her pants and put on her heels. She started to walk out, but Jack caught her arm before she could go anywhere. "What?"

"You still have sex hair," He laughed, her mussed hair making her look all more adorable.

She groaned and quickly went to the bathroom and brushes her long hair, then started to braid it; the ends still hitting her waist. "I think I'm going to cut my hair!"

"I've been telling you that since you were sixteen!" Jack walked out the bedroom and held open the front door.

Clara sighed, still in her bathroom. "Yeah, yeah... But it's just becoming ridiculous now and last night? While we were-"

"I _really_ don't need to know about your crazy monkey sex..." Jack groaned, he always hated hearing about Clara's adventurous nights.

"All I was going to say was; we couldn't do anything without my hair being pulled!" She laughed, coming out the bathroom.

The detective looked up and saw that she no longer had her waist long hair, but it now rested on her collarbone; her bangs complementing her new hairstyle. "You just cut your hair in the bathroom and I have to drag you out of bed?"  
Shrugging, Clara walked into the hallway; letting Jack lock up her apartment. "What can I say? Me and the morning don't get along."

"Don't have to remind me," Jack laughed, holding out his arm for the medical examiner. "I'm the person who had to wake you up for your final exams."

Placing her hand in the crook of his elbow, the two started down the hall and towards the stairs. "And I am _truly_ sorry for that."

The two talked about a few things as they walked, but as they neared the crime scene, Clara released Jack's arm and walked towards the covered body while Jack talked to the Captain and the witnesses.

Before Clara removed the sheet, the medical examiner looked around the scene.

"Is that a new haircut, Harris?" The Captain asked, watching her as she walked.

Clara didn't answer, which made Jack nod and answer for her. "She did it in the bathroom,"

The body seemed to be right in the middle of the alley way, while above it on the brick; the murder had carved a message. 'You'll be next, I promise'. The carvings were deep, taking an extraordinary amount of strength and they were seemingly perfect.

It looked as though they were printed onto the brick... There were no other scratched that suggested that whoever did this was struggling.

There was nothing else around the scene that could indicate about who was the murder, so Clara grabbed some gloves and crouched down to the body.

Every noise seemed to flood out as she focused on the covered body, except Jack's voice. She didn't do it on purpose, it was just that they had been together for so long that it came naturally to her _not_ to tune him out.

Slowly reaching down, she lifted the white sheet and as she saw the body; Clara stopped breathing.

"That means no press, nothing." Jack said to one of the sergeants. "Whoever did this? He wants it to be public, so we aren't going to let him get what he wants until we get some sort of clue on who _he or she_ is... Clara! Could you please use your amazing powers and give me some- Clara?"  
Gathering all the strength she had, Clara swallowed and made her voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Jack, I know who did this..."

"What?" He stared at her back, not believing. "I know you're good, but you're not _that_ good."

"That's not all," She swallowed, and threw the sheet off; exposing the body completely. She stood up and turned to look at her friend. "I know who he's going after next..."

Jack looked away from Clara to look down at the body. His blood became ice as he saw the ancient norse carvings that he would never forget, the carvings that haunted them both in their nightmares. It only took him two seconds to spring into action.

He grabbed the sergeant by his uniform and lifted him slightly off his feet. "I want you to get every security footage within a mile radius! Go, now!"

The sergeant ran like hell was on fire, earning a slightly confused and angry look for Captain Lurk. "Avery, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Jack didn't hear the captain, all his attention was on Clara now. He walked towards her and cupped her face and made her look at him. "Clara, listen to me; I'm not going to let anything happen to you."  
"I'm scared," Tears started to pool in Clara's honey eyes. "I'm more than scared, I'm terrified! H-how did he find me? Why does he want to kill me so badly and why now? After all this time, why now?"

Wrapping his arms around her, Jack tried to shield her from the bystanders stares; but it was already too late. He pressed his lips to her forehead. "I don't know, all I know is that I am going to protect you with all my power and is he wants to get to you? He'll have to go through me and my gun first."

"You've seen this before." Captain Lurk stated, crossing his arms as he walked up to the partners.

Jack kept an arm around Clara as he turned to look at his superior officer. "Yes, sir."

"And you know who is going after next?"

"Yes..." The detective slowly looked down at Clara, his arm tightening around her. "He's after Clara."

Captain Lurk looked at the medical examiner, her eyes were a mask of fear. Sighing the Captain ran a hand through his graying hair. "Get down to the station and stay there, I'll set up-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that." A woman dressed in all black came strutting through the crime scene, her hair tied into a bun. "Ms. Harris, I'm going to ask for you to come with me."

Jack stepped in front of Clara. "I don't think you have any authority to-"

"My name is Maria Hill, I work for the government and this is now in our jurisdiction." Her face was stoned faced as she walked up to the Captain and handed him a few papers, all the while a whole team of people came in and started to get to work. "I'm sure you'll find that I have full authority to take Ms. Clara Kinsley Harris in for questioning."

Clara swallowed and shook her head slowly. "I'm not going anywhere without Jack..."

Maria looked between the detective and medical examiner, knowing it was a useless to argue. "Very well... If you would follow me."

She didn't wait for them to reply, she turned on her heel and started for the sleek car that was parked at the entrance of the alleyway.

Clara and Jack shared a look before following after the mysterious woman.

Getting into the car, Clara looked to Maria. "Where are you taking us?"

"To the Avenger Tower."

"What? Why?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

Maria looked up from the tablet and looked straight into the medical examiner's eyes. "To meet your real parents."

 **Review please! What do you think of my ocs?**


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